


Ghost of the Past

by mlder



Series: Imperial Entanglements [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, Multi, Traitor Among the Chiss spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 04:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlder/pseuds/mlder
Summary: Deklerr, Commander of the Eternal Alliance and former Cipher Nine, deals with an unresolved issue from his past.





	Ghost of the Past

**3630 BBY // 23 ATC**

“An informant landing on our doorstep? You’ve outdone yourself.”

“It’s not entirely my doing. But I’ll let you thank me properly later, if his information is good,” Lana replied.

Their deadpan banter ceased as soon as the doors to the elevator opened on the Commander and his spymaster. It would have been impossible to guess that they had been embracing only a moment ago, away from prying eyes.

They headed toward the hangar bay as an unarmed shuttle came into view. Aristocra Saganu exited the spacecraft, stopping a few feet away from Deklerr and Lana. But the surprises kept coming and soon, another ghost from the agent’s past joined them.

“Lieutenant Raina Temple of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force reporting,” she said, relaxing her shoulders. “I’m… relieved to see you alive, sir.”

Deklerr noticed the mention of her new rank and the way her hands remained clasped behind her back in a painfully familiar military stance, trying to keep the expression on his face as neutral as he could muster it, though he knew Lana was quietly watching the exchange from the corner of her eye.

“I can say the same for you. I wasn’t sure we would cross paths again,” Deklerr said somewhat warmly.

“We have a lot of catching up to do. But it’ll have to wait until after the mission–we have a job to complete,” Raina said.

The former agent could only nod in agreement before Lana stepped in and motioned for them to head toward the shuttle. “If there are no objections, we should get a move on. We don’t know how long the Aristocra’s information will be valid.”

Saganu, Raina and the rest of their crew entered the shuttle again one after the other while Deklerr purposefully stayed behind to lay a comforting hand on the small of Lana’s back. He felt her slightly stiffen at the unexpected touch, and then relax just as quickly against the palm of his hand, earning him a small smile only meant for the two of them.

 

* * *

 

Once back on Odessen, Deklerr headed straight for the Alliance Staging Area. There, his cybernetic implants allowed him to speed up his work as he went through the intel provided by Syndic Zenta and Aristocra Saganu. The prospect of having to possibly kill a man he considered his friend didn’t sit well with him, but he was quick to remember his training as a Cipher agent and his duty to what was now called the Eternal Alliance.

He was not surprised to hear the voice of both his former colleague and lover get closer as she made her way toward him and the console he’ was hunched over. He turned around to face her and crossed his arms over his chest, setting the tone for their conversation.

He’d guessed correctly. Her voice was soft, her body language obvious. They debriefed together and discussed their findings from their mission on Copero, knowing she wouldn’t leave until they’d addressed a topic in particular.

“I ran into Kaliyo earlier. She told me about the… incident with SCORPIO,” she said eventually.

Deklerr decided to keep his guard up. He let Raina come ever so close to him without completely giving into her subtle flirting. “A lot has happened, Temple. It’s been a long time.”

“I spent years looking for you. I even re-enlisted with the Ascendancy so I could use their spies. Even then, my resources were limited. You taught me to keep my guard up, so I didn’t know who I could trust,” Raina said, leaning against a stack of crates next to Deklerr. The tip of her fingers traveled along his arm and she lowered her voice before continuing. “But the thought of returning to your side kept me going. Despite everything, I’ve never stopped loving you.”

Her thumb was now rubbing small circles on Deklerr’s arm covered by the uniform he favored when he wasn’t out in the field. It wasn’t unlike the Imperial uniform she’d known him to wear all those years ago, and he suddenly found himself wishing he hadn’t indulged in an affair with a member of his crew.

“Perhaps, after all this time, you still feel the same way about me…” Raina said, meeting Deklerr’s gaze hesitantly.

His arms still crossed over his chest, Deklerr slightly shifted to the side, not entirely comfortable with the way their conversation was going. “Too much time has passed, Raina. We’re not the same people we used to be.”

Seduction had never been an issue in the context of his work, but private romantic entanglements were a completely different thing. He watched as her face fell and she lowered her eyes to try and regain her composure, taking a couple of steps back before adopting a more professional stance. She stood at a reasonable distance from him, in an attempt to look dignified despite the circumstances.

“I… I understand. Deep down, I always knew I was temporary. The danger of falling for an agent, I suppose,” Raina said, clasping her hands behind her back to indicate she was back to business as usual. “In any case, I’d like to stay and continue working with the Alliance. I believe my connection to the Ascendancy could be valuable here.”

“Good. We’ll need the extra hands to capture Theron, and find this mysterious group he’s allied with,” Lana said, walking toward the two former agents.

Deklerr nodded in agreement, convinced that Lana had likely been listening to their conversation for a little while. He wondered if perhaps Raina had picked up on the subtle changes in his body language whenever Lana was close by. Several years spent as one of the Empire’s most efficient spy didn’t seem to have been enough to render him emotionless in the presence of his significant other.

Raina only lingered for a few more seconds before she bid them goodbye, leaving Deklerr and Lana alone once again in the Staging Area. When she was finally out of earshot, Lana took a step forward to press the palm of her hand softly against his chest.

“How did it go?” She asked, with concern in her voice.

Deklerr relaxed imperceptibly, his gaze settling on her as a grin formed on his lips. “It could have been worse, I guess,” he said, his gloved hands coming to rest on her hips. “But let’s not dwell on that. I’d like to show you the extent of my gratitude for your… exceptional work today.”

“Then let’s not waste another second,” Lana replies, the hint of a knowing smile curving her lips. She takes his hands off her hips to intertwine their fingers together, leading them toward the exit.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, it wasn’t _that_ deep but I really wanted to write about that breakup scene. Mostly because I don’t actually remember my agent locking into Raina’s romance, but also because I find it kind of funny to see Lana step into almost every single conversation the agent and Raina have in Traitor Among the Chiss. Anyway, lemme know what y’all thought of this!


End file.
